Thursday, February 03, 2011

Ushaw College announces closure (again).

There is an article in the Catholic Herald today about the latest developments regarding Ushaw. I may be missing something but it doesn`t seem to add a great deal to what we already know: that the conference centre closed on December 31st and the seminary will close in June. There are new details about a steering group to be chaired by bishop Mark Davies who will consider what will happen to the buildings and their contents.

Here is the full statement from the college. I was interested to read the comments about the interest in the larger community.

FULL STATEMENT FROM USHAW COLLEGE

A spokesman for Ushaw College said: “We can confirm that the commercial activities of the Conference Centre have ceased, and the Centre closed, with effect from 31 December 2010. A number of teaching and non-teaching staff remain at Ushaw College, where the activities of St Cuthbert’s Seminary will continue until June 2011.

“The seminarians currently engaged in study at St Cuthbert’s Seminary will continue with their studies as planned. It is proposed that those with studies which are to continue after June 2011 will be transferred to another seminary although the future of their studies is a matter for their respective dioceses.

“The Trustees have established a Steering Group, chaired by Bishop Mark Davies, which includes Bishop Tom Williams along with members of teaching and non-teaching staff at Ushaw College. The Steering Group will also have a representative of the Patrimony Committee of the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, who have indicated that Sophie Andreae, Deputy Chair of the Patrimony Committee, will be asked to support the work of the group. There have also been several offers of assistance from eminent individuals and charities, and further formal announcements may be made in due course should the individuals or charity wish to make their support a matter for public knowledge. The remit of the group is to look strategically at the entire estate, including its buildings, land, libraries, archives and collections, and provide a report to the Trustees about options for its future.

“We are aware that Ushaw College has considerable support within the Roman Catholic community and are grateful for all of the offers to assist at this uncertain and distressing time. It should, however, be said that whilst there are proposals to be discussed, no firm solutions are available at this time. We will not engage in speculative conversations with any organisation or individuals not directly involved in those discussions until the appropriate time. Private meetings and conversations will remain confidential so as not to raise false hopes should discussions fall through and also to allow for full and frank discussions to take place away from the public eye.”

Archbishop Patrick Kelly, Chair of Trustees said: “The proposal to close Ushaw College was one of the most difficult the Trustees have had to contemplate but was one which was based on the inability to sustain Ushaw College’s future. We are working with potential partners to identify a viable solution for the future of Ushaw and are hopeful that a solution can still be found.”

Monsignor John Marsland, President of Ushaw College, added: “We are aware there has been some debate among the wider community about the future of the historic collections of Ushaw College and of the buildings. We are acutely aware of the historical importance and heritage value placed upon the buildings, collection of books, manuscripts, letters and other items we have within our various collections and we are committed to ensuring that they remain intact.

15 comments:

Giorgio Roversi said...

It is quite disappointing to read that discussions about the buildings and the
collections at Ushaw College have "to take place away from the public eye".
Obviously the Trustees just don't get it.
The future of Ushaw is a public matter, not something to be discussed behind closed doors.
The 1330 people who signed the Petition can rest assured that Ushaw College
will continue to be in the public eye.

Incandescent said...

"Archbishop Patrick Kelly, Chair of Trustees said: “The proposal to close Ushaw College was one of the most difficult the Trustees have had to contemplate but was one which was based on the inability to sustain Ushaw College’s future."

"The inability to sustain Ushaw College's future." This statement alone raises a myriad of questions; foremost among them is why has such a successful seminary for 160 years, through all the trials and tribulations of the 19th century and the first 65 years of the 20th century, sunk to such depths it is now unsustainable? The answer is obvious to everyone except, it seems, to those who are our shepherds. Is this closure and admittance of defeat not an indictment of the spiritual disaster that has been inflicted upon the Church since the middle 1960s. Most Catholics have abandoned their parishes, most children have abandoned a faith they have never really been taught, parishes are being closed or merged, and now, Ushaw College, the great jewel of the faith in the north, is unsustainable. There could be a way to sustain the college's future but it is one that the current Trustees would never ever contemplate. The shepherds have a lot to answer for.

1569 Rising said...

I am intrigued at Mgr Marsland's comments:

"We are acutely aware of the historic importance and heritage value placed upon the BUILDINGS, collection of books, manuscripts, letters and other items we have within our various collections and we are COMMITTED to ensuring that they remain INTACT"

Taken at face value, and placing emphasis on the word "intact", does this mean that even if the Seminary closes, then the buildings,etc, will remain in use somehow, with the collections in situ?

That is how I read it, but maybe I am reading too much into it.

Is Bishop Tom Williams the former Bishop of Durham, and is the Patrimony Committee the Ordinariate?

1569 Rising said...

Oops, Many apologies.
I must be having a senior moment.

Bishop Williams is, of course, Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool, and of course, a good Catholic.

Sorry.

Mark said...

Intriguingly, the latest edition (not yet online) of "The Durham Times" speaks of talks with a "Catholic-related" group with a view to continuing the use of the site for "training and education".

1569 Rising said...

Mgr Marsland, the President of Ushaw, has written to members of St Cuthbert's Society inviting us to "Grand Week/Day" on 21st March to "celebrate the Feast of St Cuthbert."

He begins with..."Greetings from St Cuthbert's Seminary, Ushaw."

"As you will no doubt have heard, Ushaw College is set to close at the end of June and the seminarians here will transfer to other seminaries. The Conference Centre is already closed and so our capability to offer hospitality is much reduced."

"The good news however is that there will still be a Grand Week/Day to celebrate the Feast of St Cuthbert on March 21st.This will be the last one in its present form so there could be a lot of interest in participating."

"After Mass there will be a buffet lunch (we are now restricted to one chef and one kitchen assistant), and the cost will be £14-50"

"Despite the circumstancfes we look forward to welcoming you on this occasion and are confident it will be a warm-hearted final celebration."

I don't know about anyone else, but it would be much too sad for me to go.

Mark said...

Here's a link to the "Durham Times" report:
Durham Times

Most of the report is similar to what has been written elsewhere, but this is the interesting paragraph:

"However, hopes are rising that talks with a Catholic-linked interest could see the college’s training and educational work rescued."

Fr Michael Brown said...

Thanks for the link, Mark. Very interesting. I presume this is Paul Waddington`s group.

David O'Neill said...

I must admit that, like 1569, I too thought of Bishop Tom Williams being the former Anglican Bishop of Durham. sadly, that didn't surprise me as Anglican priestly training is possibly more Catholic than ours

L D said...

1569 Rising - bearing such a title you should not be so defeatist. Northumberland and Westmoreland were not such faint hearts, although we hope and pray that the outcome of the Ushaw Campaign will be more successful than theirs.

Fr said...

I see that "Grand Week" has now been reduced to Mass and a buffet!

I'm afraid that I haven't shed a single tear over the demise of the present seminary, but the buildings and associated patrimony should be somehow secured for Catholic use and not allowed to deteriorate in the same way as the Junior House.

1569 Rising said...

LD accuses me of defeatism, and casts aspersions on my use of the 1569 moniker. He correctly suggests that the Noble Earls of Westmorland and Northumberland were not faint hearts, and implies that they would be disappointed in me hitching my blogging wagon to their moment of glory.

I feel suitably chastised.

BUT, one big difference between then and now is that the Earls were resolute in their determination to fight for Catholicism, and knew full well who their enemies were. However, today, we are not sure whether our "friends" in the Hierarchy are actually on our side, or are they our secret enemies?

I only ask.

robertatforsythe said...

Some words in the statement caught my eye like "eminent individuals "

and "We will not engage in speculative conversations with any organisation or individuals not directly involved in those discussions until the appropriate time. Private meetings and conversations will remain confidential so as not to raise false hopes should discussions fall through and also to allow for full and frank discussions to take place away from the public eye".

Does not read like an organisation looking for a consultative process with the wider community and even its own members does it? It sounds more like if we can reach a reasonable outcome on our terms all well and good, otherwise call the bulldozers. Have got to this position after some 30 years of drift, something rather less high and mighty might have come across better. All the same I hope for a positive conclusion.

robertatforsythe said...

I am amused that by total serendipity and a touch of Facebook I discover that Giorgio Roversi is also http://www.facebook.com/pages/Crime-and-Punishment/108421852513267#!/pages/Fyodor-Dostoyevsky/103711859667511 Fyodor Dostoyevsky !

robertatforsythe said...

Forgive me yet another comment but I think some of you will enjoy this (copied from my own blog entry just made).

Big Catholic Buildings: Cork Lee Road

What is it about Catholicism that it managed to build spectacularly large buildings? Structures which like Ushaw College are very difficult to handle in the 21st century. But here is one which can claim to top the lot: Our Lady's Hospital, up the Lee Road, Cork.

I found it because I am listening to a Gaelic Storm CD which has a spirited rendition of "Johnny Jump Up" and if you work at "up the Lee Road" and do some googling all is explained by this building. The railway enthusiast in me is taken by The Railwaymen's Bar at Youghal elsewhere on the track. Although HQ is in Northumberland I have reached Cork in the cause of train chasing but this building eluded me. Glimpsed from a train in 2008 was a similar structure outside Enniscorthy.